Oil burning orchard heater



g- 18, 1942- J. TWEEDDALE OIL BURNING ORCHARD HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 20, 1940 31 wot/who'll weeddaie if if Jblln Aug. 18, 1942.

J. TWEEDDALE 2,293,678 OIL BURNING ORCHARD HEATER Filed June 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John Tweed aaie Patented Aug. 18, 1942 'UNiT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL BURNING ORCHARD HEATER John Tweeddale, Torrance, Calif.

Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,549

(or. 15 s 91) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus or device capable of use either as a smokeless oil burning orchard heater or as a smoke generator.

One primary object is -to provide a smokeless orchard heater equipped with a remote control ignition device capable of instantly lighting and regulating the burning rate in one or any desired plurality of heaters.

A second important object is to provide by means of new draft control features, an oil burning smoke screen device for use in offensive and defensive warfare, any number of which can be instantly ignited with the remote control apparatus described in the specification and shown in the drawings.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1, and showing a plurality of the devices one upon another;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through a single device taken on the plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View partly in section and partly in plan showing the wick tube;

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of the wick tube;

Figure 6 is a detail section on line 6--6 of Figure 1, and

Figure '7 is a cross section on line 1-| of Figure 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, the device includes a container or reservoir l6, which may be rectangular, as shown, or of any other desired shape, and which is adapted to be filled with fuel oil from the top for instance to the level suggested at H in dotted lines, the top being in the nature of a removable cover plate l2 which is slidably applicable to a groove [3, formed by a rim I4, extending around three sides of the reservoir I at the top. Said reservoir I!) may be supported from the ground or otherwise by a pair of risers l shown for example in the form of angle irons welded as at I6 to the bottom of the reservoir. Rising centrally from the bottom wall of the reservoir ii] to a height above the oil level II, is a duct or collar l1 providing an air inlet passageway, In line with the duct I1, and usually of slightly smaller diameter, is a stack attaching collar l8, which is integral with the cover 12 and communicates with the interior of the reservoir Ill as shown. A metallic or other stack l9, of any suitable height, may be removably attached to the collar I8 as shown.

A wick supporting tube 20 is removably p0- sitioned angularly in a collar or extension 2| on the cover I2. Said collar 2| has a removable exterior cap 22. Said tube is generally semicircular and tapered throughout with the larger end uppermost. It has an upper arcuate wall 23, a lower arcuate or convex wall 24 and openings 25 on opposite sides thereof extending practically throughout the length of the tube 20 so as to admit air to a wick 26, of asbestos or the like, disposed on the convex portion 24 and whose lower end extends into the fuel and whose upper end terminates relatively close to the upper end of tube 20. Detachably screw threaded at 2! in the wall of extension 2] is a conventional electric igniter plug 28, whose electrodes 29 are disposed relatively close to the upper end of the wick in order to ignite the fuel upon the closing of an electric circuit through the igniter. High tension wires 30 are connected to the electrodes of igniter 28 and leading from a high tension coil box or device 3| in an electric circuit 32 which may be energized by a battery 33 or from a house lighting or other circuit through the connection of a conventional plug 34 therein. Said circuit 32 includes a switch 35, which is operative to close a circuit when desired through the igniter 28 in order to ignite the fuel at the wick 26. Particular attention is called to the fact that the switch 35 may be at any desired location and hence readily adapts itself to operation of the device or apparatus by remote control. The igniter utilizes two or more watts of electricity. 7

Downdraft on the fuel within the reservoir is controlled by one or more valves or plates 36 which are pivoted at 31 to the cover l2 and which are o erative to completely or partially expose a port or opening 38 through such cover l2.

Updraft through the apparatus is enhanced by a duct or draft 42 shown for example as extending through a side wall of the reservoir [0 and through the wall of the duct ll, communieating with the interior of the latter and also with the outside atmosphere, such duct 42 having a damper, valve or shutter 43 as one means operable to close or regulate the admission of air through the duct 42, the same being mounted to turn on the post 44 or vertical axis afforded thereby. Obviously duct 42 may be arranged below reservoir in and in any suitable manner communicate with duct l1.

As a result of the construction described, through the control of the valves 36 and 43, the device may be operated as a smokeless heater or to produce smoke, not only in an orchard but for military or other purposes, if desired.

In order to augment the heat produced or smoke produced, a battery or plurality of the devices may be used as shown in Figure 2, where they are disposed one upon the other, the risers 15 of the lowermost device resting on the ground and those of the reservoirs above the same engaging the covers l2 of the devices therebeneath. It will be noted that when thus stacked or nested, the collar I8 is of such a height as to extend partly into the duct I 1 above the same, but being of less diameter so that air may enter around the same and between the top and bottom of the stacked devices, as shown in Figure 2. By reason of the fact that the collars 18 extend into the ducts l7, danger of lateral displacement of stacked devices is minimized.

Various changes may be resorted to provided 1 they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An igniter for orchard heaters of the pan or tray type comprising a wick tube, said tube being composed of elongated upper and lower walls which are convex in cross section and which are connected at their ends, said walls being disposed substantially concentric, the upper wall being substantially wider than the lower wall so that the longitudinal edges therof are spaced outwardly from the longitudinal edges of the lower wall to form air inlet openings which extend substantially the length of the tube, a wick disposed in the tube and longitudinally thereof, said wick bea ing supported by the inner, convex side of the lower wall and between said air inlet openings, and ignition means for the wick.

2. An igniter for orchard heaters of the pan or tray type comprising a wick tube, said tube being composed of elongated upper and lower walls which are convex in cross section and which are connected at their ends, said walls being disposed substantially concentric, the upper wall being substantially wider than the lower wall so that the longitudinal adges thereof are spaced outwardly from the longitudinal edges of the lower wall to form air inlet openings which extend substantially the length of the tube, a wick disposed in the tube and longitudinally thereof, said wick being supported by the inner, convex side of the lower wall and between said air inlet openings, and ignition means for the wick, said tube and its openings being generally tapered from one end to the other end of the tube.

3. An igniter for orchard heaters of the pan or tray type comprising a wick tube, said tube being i composed of elongated upper and lower walls which are convex in cross section and which are connected at their ends, said walls being disposed substantially concentric, the upper wall being substantially wider than the lower wall so that the longitudinal edges thereof are spaced outwardly from the longitudinal edges of the lower wall to form air inlet openings which extend substantially the length of the tube, a wick disposed in the tube and longitudinally thereof, said wick being supported by the inner, convex side of the lower wall and between said air inlet openings, ignition means for the wick, said tube and its openings being generally tapered from one end to the other end of the tube, and a support having a collar,one end of the wick tube being fitted in the collar, and said ignition means being mounted in the collar and adjacent a portion of the wick.

JOHN 'I'WEEDDALE. 

